Solvent-operated duplicating machine



Nov. 24, 1953 Filed April 22. 1952 M. L. A. DELPLANQUE SOLVENT-OPERATED DUPLICATING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNvENToR: EMHRQEL Louls Ausxmmaa DELPLANQUE NOV. 1953 M. L. A. DELPLANQUE SOLVENT-OPERATED DUFLICATING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 22, 1952 JNVENTOR'.

MARQEL ows ALEXAND E Dmmuou B7:

N 1953 M. L. A. DELPLANQUE SOLVENT-OPERATED DUPLICATING 'MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 22, 1952 IWVENTOR. MARCEL Laws ALEFAN ms PELPHWM 1953 M. L. A. DELPLANQUE SOLVENT-OPERATED DUPLICATING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 22, 1952 i INVENTOR: MARcEL Laws ALEKANDRE QELPLANQUE 1953 M. L. A. DELPLANQUE SOLVENT-OPERATED DUPLICATING MACHINE 5 Shets-Sh'eet 5 Filed April 22. 1952 WENT-0R! MAR ca. Low 5 ALEXAHDRE OELPLAJQUE v Patented Nov. 24, 1953 OFFICE SOLVENT-OPERATED DUPLICATING MACHINE Marcel L. A. Delplanque, Paris, France Application April 22, 1952, Serial No. 283,545

Claims priority, application France November 8, 1951 8 Claims. (Cl. 101132.5)

My invention has for its object improvements in those solvent-operated duplicating machines that are used for reproducing on the sheets to be printed that are moistened by a solvent such as alcohol, types that have been previously transferred onto a transfer sheet by means of the so-called hectograph or autographic method.

It relates more particularly to duplicating machines wherein the solvent container that is rockably mounted and is controlled by the transfer sheet carrying cylinder, is provided with an auxiliary container located at a vertically adjustable position and connected with the bottom of the actual solvent container through the agency of a yielding pipe.

The duplicating machine operating with a solvent and designed in accordance with my invention includes the usual parts, to wit: on one hand a cylinder carrying the transfer sheet and associated wtih a sloping plate feeding the transfer sheet, with means for securing the edge of said transfer sheet along one of its generating lines and with means for holding said cylinder fixed in at least one predetermined angular position thereof and, on the other hand, a press cylinder adapted to be urged into substantial contact with the said cylinder carrying the transfer sheet, associated with a corresponding plate feeding the sheet to be printed and lastly, a reference cylinder lying in substantial contact with the press cylinder and associated with a paper guiding member that provides for the winding of the sheet on which the printing is to be performed over the press cylinder. Now, in my improved duplicating machine, the lower end of the plate feeding the transfer sheet, which lower end registers with the generating line of the carrier cylinder along which one edge of said transfer sheet is secured to the said cylinder, when these parts are stationary, is located in a position such that the paths travelled respectively by the said edge of the transfer sheet over the carrier cylinder starting from the generating line thus defined and by the sheet that is to be printed over the press cylinder starting from its line of engagement with the reference cylinder, up to the contacting line between the carrier cylinder and the press cylinder where the sheets meet, are exactly equal.

Thus. the relative positions of the sheet that is to be printed and of the transfer sheet are automatically defined at the beginning of the work and the transfer sheet assumes its starting position immediately and without any adjustment and practically without any reserve and consequently without any margin that is not used for printing purposes being required.

In conformity with an important feature of the invention, the press cylinder is located underneath the carrier cylinder while the table feeding the transfer sheet and the table feeding the sheet to be printed are located on opposite sides of the vertical plane containing the axes of the two cylinders. Thus, after passing between the cylinders, the part of the sheet to be printed that has just received the impression is visible to the operator.

In conformity with a further feature of my invention, the means holding the carrier cylinder fixed are constituted on one hand by a roller carried by one end of said carrier cylinder and, on the other hand, by a cam carried by the arm controlling the rocking solvent container and provided with a groove, the position of which is such that the machine is held temporarily fixed in its starting non-wetting position when the roller engages the groove in said cam.

In conformity with a still further feature of the invention, the rocking solvent container is provided with a felt member adapted to dip when required inside the solvent and having a stepped shape, the surface of the felt of smallest crosssectional area lying at the lower end thereof so as to reduce the contacting area when the level of liquid is high.

My invention is further characterized by the fact that the rocking solvent container is designed and arranged in a manner such that the felt may come into contacting relationship with the sheet that is to be printed after the latter has been drawn along by the press cylinder and the reference cylinder and has been guided by the paper guiding member.

By reason of this arrangement, the paper is rolled at the start in its dry state which eliminates the possibility of crinkling the paper and even smoothes out a paper that is originally creased.

In contradistinction, if the felt were to come into contacting relationship with the printing sheet before the latter has been carried along, the moistened paper would have a lesser resistance at the very moment at which the pressure and the tractional stress exerted on it are more considerable and. this produces frequently folds and tears in conventional machines.

In conformity with yet another feature of the invention, the felt is provided with an incurved free end or with a free end that forms a predetermined angle with the dipping section of the felt so as to be capable of urging the paper against the press cylinder exactly at the desired location. This arrangement allows eliminating completely any margin that is not adapted to be used for printing. As a matter of fact, the paper is already beingcarriedalong at the moment of its wetting so that the latter may be carried out as close to the upper end of the sheet as may be desired.

This allows also the use of an operative felt surface for the wetting that is much larger than in the case of any known machines and reduces considerably the wear of the felt.

In conformity with a last feature of my invention, a stop provided on the frame of the machine allows locking the arm controlling the rocking container in a position providing for permanent non-wetting conditions. Thus, the whole arrangement may revolve idly, for instance for cleaning purposes without wetting the press cylinder.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated by way of example in accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an end view of an embodiment of the duplicating machine according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same machine as seen from the opposite, solvent container end;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the machine with its cover partly torn off;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through line IVIV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a partial cross-section ona larger scale'through line V-V of Fig. 1 showing the cylinder system together with the means for securing the-transfer sheet to the carrier cylinder.

As illustrated, the duplicating machine operating through the agency of a solvent includes in the embodiment illustrated, two flanges, l and 2, on which are mounted a carrier cylinder 3. together with two lateral uprights 4. The latter are carried by the flanges at an adjustable height with reference thereto as provided by a spindle '7 (Fig. 4) rigid with each flange and slidingly engaging an elongated opening 5 provided in the corresponding lateral upright which is urged with a tight fit against the correspondingfiange through the agency of a thrust washer 5 and of anut that is not illustrated.

The vertical adjustment of the two lateral uprights is controlled by means of the two eccenters 3 that are actuated by a rod 9 rigid with a pin l6 adapted to be shifted inside an arcuate gate H provided in the flange I, said shifting being controlled by the knurled knob l2 (Fig. 2).

To lateral uprights i are secured spindles l3 and M- on which are rotatably mounted respectively the press cylinder l5 and a third cylinder I8 serving as a reference for the sheet to be printed and also a third spindle I! on which is rockably mounted the solvent container 18, positioned somewhat sideways of the carrier 4. Said solvent container is urged into the direction oi the sheet to be printed by two springs I9 secured at 23 to the coresponding uprights.

An auxiliary solvent container 2! is also mounted. on the flange I through the agency of an arm 22, one end of which is adapted to rock round a pivot 2s while its other end may assume diiierent positions alongside of a gate 24 provided in the flange vl, said end of the arm 22 being adjustably held over said gate by a suitable clamping device -25.

This auxiliary container is connected-with the main container It by means of a pipeZE provided with a pivoting connection 21. A filling pipe 28 that serves for checking the level for various wetting positions, is located on the outside of the flange and is connected at 28 with the pipe 26.

Thisgauxiliary container having an adjustable level, allows modifications to be brought to the level of the liquid inside the main container.

.The lowermost position of the auxiliary container allows emptying the main container carrying the felt. This felt 39 shown in Fig. 2 dips to any desired extent inside the container. Its

outline is cut so as to show, to either side, steps 3| and 32 in a manner such that when the level of liquid is'high, the contacting surface may not be too large. An angle bar a defines the shape of the end of the felt in a manner such that it forms a nose urging the paper against the press cylinder.

Above the spindle of the main container, there aremounted on the lateral uprights s, as disclosed hereinabove, the press cylinder 15 and the reference cylinder l6. These two cylinders are associated and are urged against each other under substantially constant pressure conditions by an elastic belt that is not illustrated.

In registering with the cylinder 15 there is secured to the upright i a paper-guiding member constituted by an incurved extension 33 of a paper-feeding table 34 over which the sheet of paper to be printed is brought onto the press cylinder 15, the paper guiding member 33 and the table 34 following consequently the vertical movements of the uprights-i while the latter are being vertically adjusted.

A further paper-feeding table 35 on which the sheet of paper to be printed is laid at the beginning of the operation, is angularly adjusted through one or more securing members 36 provided on the flanges I and 2. An output table 3'? for the printed sheet and also an input table 38 for the transfer sheet and a stay 39 are likewise secured. to the flanges.

By reason of this arrangement, the sheet to be printed laid over the table 35 slides and passes between the cylinders l5 and it that are in substantial contacting relationship along their corresponding generating lines 40. The sheet is thus automatically adjusted in position because, on the other hand, the edge 4| of the table 38 lies in register with a generating line of the carrier cylinder such that the length of travel (Fig. 3) of the transfer sheet between said generating line facing the edge M and the generating line 42 along which the cylinders 3 and I5 are in substantial contacting relationship, is practically equal to the length of travel of the sheet to be printed between the contacting generating lines 40 and-42 on the cylinder IS.

The solvent-container I8 is controlled by an arm. 43, which is provided with a cam groove 44 while the outer end 45 of the arm forms a handoperable grip that serves for shifting the container away from the press cylinder and holding it in a permanently non wetting position as provided bya stop that is not illustrated and is carried by-one of the flanges.

A roller 46 rotatablycarried on one of the ends of the carrier cylinder cooperates with the cam groove 44 rigid with the arm 43 in a manner such that the felt,may come into contacting relationship with the sheet to be printed after the latter has been carried along by the press cylinder. The diameter of this roller 4E5 is defined in a manner such that the lateral surface of the roller may have an area corresponding to that of the cam groove 44 in order to hold transiently the solvent container in its nonwetting position which is also its starting position, illustrated in Fig. 4.

The carrier cylinder 3 for the transfer sheet lies over the parts that have just been described. This cylinder 3 is adapted to be actuated by a crank 41 (Fig. 3) carrying a handle 41a. The cylinder 3 is also provided with a clamping device adapted to hold the transfer sheet against said cylinder 3 and it is notched to this end at 48, the notch serving for engagement by the transfer sheet. Said clamping device includes, as shown in Fig. 5, an angle bar :39 of which one flange may be slidingly fitted inside the notch 48 while the other flange is adapted to hold the end of the transfer sheet on the cylinder. In order to reach this result, the flange sliding in the notch is mounted on a lever 50 having an arcuate shape, so that said flange is capable of sliding with reference to said lever. The latter is, in its turn, pivotally mounted on one of the ends of the cylinder 3 so that it may rock round a spindle 5|. The end of the lever 50 carrying the angle bar 49 is urged by a spring 52 into a position in which the angle bar enters the notch, one end of said spring 52 being secured at 53 to the cylinder 3 While its other end is secured to a spindle 54 rigid with the flange 49 and sliding inside an elongated opening 55 formed on the lever 50 so as to provide a sliding of the angle bar with reference to the lever 53.

The operation of this clamping device is as follows:

The further end 56 of the lever 56 is urged downwardly so as to release partly the angle bar 49 with reference to the notch 48. The end of the transfer sheet 51 carried by the input plate 38 abuts then through the action of gravity against the bottom of the notch. When the pressure on the lever 50 is released at 56, the re turn spring 52 urges the angle bar into the notch and wedges the transfer sheet of paper against the surface of the cylinder 3.

What I claim is:

l. A duplicating machine, comprising a cylinder adapted to carry a transfer sheet, a sloping plate over which the transfer sheet is adapted to be fed to said cylinder along a generating line thereof, means associated with said cylinder and adapted to hold the forward end of the transfer sheet fed by the plate rigid with the cylinder along a predetermined generating line of the latter, means adapted to hold the said cylinder fast for a predetermined angular position thereof corresponding to a registering of the front edge of the sloping plate with the said predetermined generating line, a press cylinder adapted to be set in contacting relationship with the first cylinder over said transfer sheet, a second plate over which the sheet of paper to be printed is adapted to be fed into a plane tangent to the press cylinder, a reference cylinder lying in contacting relationship with the press cylinder along a generating line registering with the plane tangent to the press cylinder into which the paper to be printed is fed, a paper-guiding plate coaxially surrounding the press cylinder in close proximity with the periphery thereof along a portion of said periphery extending from said tangent plane in the direction of rotation of the press cylinder up to a line ahead of the generating line along which the press cylinder engages the first cylinder, the lower edge of the sloping plate feeding the transfer sheet, registering with the generating line along which the latter is secured to the first cylinder when the first cylinder is held fast, being located in a position such that the arcuate distances between the generating line thus defined on the first cylinder and the generating line along which the sheet to be printed engages the press cylinder, on one hand, and the cooperating generating lines on the two first cylinders, on the other hand, are equal.

2. A duplicating machine, comprising a cylinder adapted to carry a transfer sheet, a sloping plate over which the transfer sheet is adapted to be fed to said cylinder along a generating line thereof, means associated with said cylinder and adapted to hold the forward end of the transfer sheet fed by the plate rigid with the cylinder along a predetermined generating line of the latter, means adapted to hold the said cylinder fast for a predetermined angular position thereof corresponding to a registering of the front edge of the sloping plate with the said predetermined generating line, a press cylinder adapted to be set in contacting relationship with the first cylinder over said transfer sheet, the axis of said press wheel being located horizontally in vertical register with and underneath the axis of the first cylinder, a second plate over which the sheet of paper to be printed is adapted to be fed into a plane tangent to the press cylinder, said transfer sheet feeding plate and the guiding plate for the sheet to be printed being located on opposite sides of the vertical plane passing through the axes of the two first cylinders, a reference cylinder lying in contacting relationship with the press cylinder along a generating line registering with the plane tangent to the press cylinder into which the paper to be printed is fed, a paper-guiding plate coaxially surrounding the press cylinder in close proximit with the periphery along a portion of said periphery extending from said tangent plane in the direction of rotation of the press cylinder up to a line ahead of the generating line along which the press cylinder engages the first cylinder, the lower edge of the sloping plate feeding the transfer sheet, registering with the generating line along which the latter is secured to the first cylinder when the first cylinder is held fast, being located in a position such that the arcuate distances between the generating line thus defined on the first cylinder and the generating line along which the sheet to be printed engages the press cylinder, on one hand, and the cooperating generating lines on the two first cylinders, on the other hand, are equal.

3. A duplicating machine comprising a rotary cylinder adapted to carry a transfer sheet, a sloping plate over which the transfer sheet is adapted to be fed to said cylinder downwardly to engage same along a generating line thereof facing the lower edge of said sloping plate, for a predetermined angular position of said cylinder, hand operable means carried by said cylinder and adapted to clamp the front edge of the transfer sheet fed by the plate, for said predetermined angular position, to the cylinder, a press cylinder parallel with the first cylinder and engaging same along cooperating generating lines to operatively urge a sheet to be printed, that is wound over it against the transfer sheet carried along by the first cylinder, a second plate over which the sheet of paper to be printed is adapted to be fed to the press cylinder along a plane tangent to the latter, a reference cylinderparallel with the first cylinder and lying incontacting relationship with the press cylinder along a-generatingsline registering with said plane tangent to the press cylinder, means adapted to drive the press cylinder in one direction and the first cylinder and the reference cylinder in the opposite direction, an incurved. paper-guiding plate coaxially surrounding the press cylinder in close proximity with the periphery thereof along-a portion of said periphery extending from said tangent plane in the direction of rotation of the press cylinder up to a line ahead of the generating line along which the press cylinder engages the first cylinder, a solvent container, a spindle parallel with the cylinders and around which said container is adapted to rock, a felt dipping in the solvent in said container and extending from thecont'ainer, an arm controlling the angular position of said container and felt therein with reference to the spindle and adapted to urge the upper end of said felt against a section of the sheet of "paper to be printed lying between the last mentioned line of the paper-guiding member and the operative generating line of engagement between the two first cylinders, means for holding fast the first cylinder in the predetermined angular position for which the sheet clamping means thereon register with the lower edge of the sloping plate, said means including a roller revolubly carried by one end of the first cylinder and a grooved cam rigid with the container-controlling arm and adapted to engage the roller in a position for which the first cylinder is in the above defined predetermined angular position and for which the felt is held away from the press cylinder, the arcuate distance travelled by the transfer sheet and the sheet to be printed, respectively towards the cooperating generating lines of the corresponding first cylinder and press cylinder, starting respectively from the generating line registering with the lower edge of the sloping plate and from the plane tangent to the press cylinder being equal.

4. A duplicating machine comprising a rotary cylinder adapted to carry a transfer sheet, a sloping plate over which the transfer sheet is adapted to be fed to said cylinder downwardly to engage same along a generating line thereof facing the lower edge of said sloping plate, for a predetermined angular position of said cylinder, hand operable means carried by said cylinder and adapted to clamp the front edge of the transfer sheet fed by the plate for said predetermined angular position, to the cylinder, a press cylinder parallel with the first cylinder and engaging same along a cooperating generating line to operatively urge a sheet to be printed, that is wound .over it, against the transfer sheet carried along by the first cylinder, a second plate over which the sheet of paper to be rinted is adapted to be fed to the press cylinder along a plane tangent to the latter, a reference cylinder parallel with the first cylinder and lying in contacting relationship with the press cylinder along a generating line registering with said plane tangent to the press cylinder, the axes of the different cylinders lying in parallelism in a common vertical plane, means adapted to drive the press cylinder in one direction and the first cylinder and the reference cylinder in the opposite direction, an incurved paper-guiding plate coaxially surrounding the press cylinder in close proximity with the periphery thereof along a portion of said periphery extending from said tangent plane in the direction of rotation of the-press cylinder up to-a line ahead of the generating line along which the press cylinder engages the first cylinder, a solvent container, a spindle parallel with the cylinders and round which said container is adapted to rock, a felt dipping in the solvent-in-said container and extending from the container, an arm controlling the angularposition of said container and felt therein with reference to the spindle and adapted to urge'the upper end of said felt against a section of the sheet of paper to be printed lying between the last mentioned line of the paper guiding member and the operative generatingline of engagement between the two first cylinders, means for shifting vertically the press cylinder, the reference cylinder and the spindle of the rocking container bodily in the vertical direction with reference to the first cylinder, an auxiliary solvent container connected with the first container, means controlling the relative position of the two containers to adjust the levelof solventin the first container,-the distance travelled by the transfer sheet and the sheet to be printed, respectively towards the cooperating generating lines of the corresponding first cylinder and press cylinder, starting respectively from the generating line registering with the lower edge of the sloping plate and from the plane tangent to the press cylinder being equal.

5. A duplicating machine comprising a vrotary cylinder adapted to carry a transfer sheet, a sloping plate over which the transfer sheet is adapted to be fed downwardlyto said cylinder to engage same along a generating line thereof facing the lower edge of said sloping plate, for a predetermined angular position of said cylinder, hand operable means carried by said cylinder and adapted to clamp the front edge of the transfer sheet fed by the plate for said..predetermined angular position'tothe cylinder, a press cylinder parallel with the first cylinder and engaging same along cooperating generating lines to operatively urge a sheet to be'wound over it against'the transfer sheet carried along'by the first cylinder, a second plate over which the sheet of paper to be printed is adapted to be fed to the press cylinder along a plane tangent to the latter, a reference cylinder parallel with the first cylinder and lying in contacting relationship with the press cylinder along a generating line registering with saidplane tangent to the press cylinder, means adapted to drive the press cylinder in one direction and the first cylinder and the reference cylinder in the opposite direction, an incurved paper-guiding plate coaxially surrounding the press cylinder in close proximit with the periphery thereof along a portion of said periphery extending from said tangent plane in the direction of rotation of the press cylinder up to a line ahead of the generating line along which the press cylinder engages the first cylinder, a solvent container, a spindle parallel with the cylinders and round which said container is adapted to rock, a felt extending from said container and dipping in the solvent in said container to an adjustable extent and assuming a stepped shape, the smaller cross-sectional area of the felt lying at the lower end of the container so that the contacting area with the solvent is smaller when the solvent level is higher, an arm controlling the angular position of said container and felt therein with reference to the spindle and adapted to urge the uppe end of said felt against a section of the sheet of paper to be printed lying between the last mentioned line of the paper guiding memher and the operative generating line of engagement between the two first cylinders, an auxiliary solvent container connected with the first container, means controlling the relative position of the two containers to adjust the level of solvent in the first container, means for holding fast the first cylinder in the predetermined angular position for which the sheet clamping means thereon register with the lower edge of the sloping plate, the distance travelled by the transfer sheet and sheet to be printed respectively towards the cooperating generating lines of the corresponding first cylinder and press cylinder, starting respectively from the generating line registering with the lower edge of the sloping plate and from the plane tangent to the press cylinder, being equal.

6. A duplicating machine comprising a rotary cylinder adapted to carry a transfer sheet, a sloping plate over which the transfer sheet is adapted to be fed to said cylinder downwardly to engage same along a generating line thereof facing the lower edge of said sloping plate, for a predetermined angular position of said. cylinder, hand operable means carried by said cylinder and adapted to clamp the front edge of the transfer sheet fed by the plate for said predetermined angular position, to the cylinder, a press cylinder parallel with the first cylinder and engaging same along cooperating generating lines to operatively urge a sheet to be printed wound over it against the transfer sheet carried along by the first cylinder, a second plate over which the sheet of paper to be printed is adapted to be fed to the press cylinder along a plane tangent to the latter, a reference cylinder parallel with the first cylinder and lying in contacting relationship with the press cylinder along a generating line registering with said plane tangent to the press cylinder, means adapted to drive the press cylinder in one direction and the first cylinder and the reference cylinder in the opposite direction, an incurved paper-guiding plate coaxially surrounding the press cylinder in close proximity with the periphery thereof along a portion of said periphery extending from said tangent plane in the direction of rotation of the press cylinder up to a line ahead of the generating line along which the press cylinder engages the first cylinder, a solvent container, a spindle parallel withthe cylinders and round which said container is adapted to rock, a felt dipping in said container and extending from the container, an arm controlling the angular position of said container and felt therein .With reference to the spindle and adapted to urge the felt into contact with the sheet to be printed after the latter has been driven through a predetermined angular distance over the press cylinder by the guiding member, means for holding fast the first cylinder in the predetermined angular position for which the sheet clamping means thereon register with the lower edge of the sloping plate, the distance travelled by the transfer sheet and the sheet to be printed respectively towards the cooperating generating lines of the corresponding first cylinder and press cylinder, starting respectively from the generating line registering with the lower edge of the sloping plate and from the plane tangent to the press cylinder, being equal.

7. A duplicating machine comprising a rotary cylinder adapted to carry a transfer sheet, a sloping plate over which the transfer sheet is adapted to be fed to said cylinder to engage same along a generating line thereof facing the lower edge of said sloping plate for a predetermined angular position of said cylinder, hand operable means carried by said cylinder and adapted to clamp the front edge of the transfer sheet fed by the plate for said predetermined angular position, to the cylinder, a press cylinder parallel with the first cylinder and engaging same along cooperating generating lines to operatively urge a sheet to be printed, that is wound over it against the transfer sheet carried along by the first cylinder, a second plate over which the sheet of paper to be printed is adapted to be fed to the press cylinder along a plane tangent to the latter, a reference cylinder parallel with the first cylinder and lying in contacting relationship with the press cylinder along a generating line registering with said plane tangent to the press cylinder, means adapted to drive the press cylinder in one direction and the first cylinder and the reference cylinder in the opposite direction. an incurved paper guiding plate coaxially surrounding the press cylinder in close proximity with the periphery thereof along a portion of said periphery extending from said tangent plane in the direction of rotation of the press cylinder up to a line ahead of the generating line along which the press cylinder engages the first cylinder, a solvent container, a spindle parallel with the cylinders and round which said container is adapted to rock, a felt dipping in the solvent in said container, and including a terminal section projecting above the liquid, an arm controlling the angular position of said container and felt therein with reference to the spindle and adapted to urge the terminal section of said felt against a section of the sheet of paper to be printed lying between the last mentioned line of the paper guiding member and the operative generating line of engagement between the two first cylinders, means for holding fast the first cylinder in the predetermined angular position for which the sheet clamping means thereon register with the lower edge of the sloping plate, said means including a roller revolubly carried by one end of the first cylinder and a grooved cam rigid with the container-controlling arm and adapted to engage the roller in a position for which the first cylinder is in the above defined predetermined angular position and for which the felt is held away from the press cylinder, the distance travelled by the transfer sheet and the sheet to be printed respectively towards the cooperating generating lines of the corresponding first cylinder and press cylinder, starting respectively from the generating line registering with the lower edge of the sloping plate and from the plane tangent to the press cylinder, being equal.

8. A duplicating machine comprising a rotary cylinder adapted to carry a transfer sheet, a sloping plate over which the transfer sheet is adapted to be fed to said cylinder to engage same along a generating line thereof facing the lower edge of said sloping plate for a predetermined angular position of said cylinder, hand operable means carried by said cylinder and adapted to clamp the front edge of the transfer sheet fed by the plate for said predetermined angular position, to the cylinder, a press cylinder parallel with the first cylinder and engaging same along cooperating generating lines to operatively urge a sheet to be printed, that is wound over it against the transfer sheet carried along by the first cylinder, a second plate over which the sheet of paper to be printed is adapted to be fed to the press cylinder along a plane tangent to the 11 latter, a reference cylinder parallel with the first cylinder and lying in contacting relationship with the press cylinder along a generating line registering with said plane tangent to the press cylinder, means adapted to drive the press cylinder in one direction and the first cylinder and the reference cylinder in the opposite direction, an incurved paper-guiding plate coaxially surrounding the press cylinder in close proximity with the periphery thereof along a portion of said periphery extending from said tangent plane in the direction of rotation of the press cylinder up to a line ahead of the generating line along which the press cylinder engages the first cylinder, a solvent container, a spindle parallel with the cylinders and round which said container is adapted to rock, a felt dipping in the solvent in said container and extending from the container. M

tainer in a permanent non-=wetting position away from the press cylinder, means for holding fast the first cylinder in the predetermined angular position for which the sheet clamping means thereon register with the lower edge of the sloping plate, the distance travelled by the transfer sheet and the sheet to be printed respectively towards the cooperating generating lines of the corresponding first cylinder and press cylinder, starting respectively from the generating line registering with the lower edge of the sloping plate and from the plane tangentwto the. press cylinder, being equal.

MARCEL L. A, DELPLANQUE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,036,972 Storck Apr. 7, 1936 2,051,897 Ritzerfeld Au 25, 1936 2,510,256 Robinson June 6, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 286,223 Germany July 30, 1915 

